


Lock & Key

by strangeworlds



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Kiss, First Time, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Slow Burn, Smut, Unrequited Love, Voyeurism, but not really, not for long
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:28:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26826640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangeworlds/pseuds/strangeworlds
Summary: Link walks in on Rhett... the rest is (kind of complicated) history.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 10
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not totally sure where this is gonna go but I've got high hopes - let me know what you think

Rhett liked to think he had a good amount of self control. Usually. He didn’t smoke, other than that time at a party. He didn’t drink very often, and when he did it wasn’t very much. He wasn’t a slave to his impulses. 

Having said that. He and his girlfriend broke just over a week ago. It was mutual - or at least that’s what he told Link. And it _was_ mutual, in that when she dumped him he found that he didn’t really care either way. Which was strange, because Rhett could have sworn that he really did like her. But since he’s had some time to think about it he reached the conclusion that it was the physical side of the relationship he’d enjoyed the most. Thinking about that too hard made him feel a little sleazy. 

He wasn’t the kind of guy for casual sex, and he never had been. Probably something to do with his Christian upbringing. And a valiant respect for women that had been drilled into him by his mom. But in this modern age, he could hardly be blamed for his… urges. It was natural. There were people that were so much worse for it than him, he didn’t even use dating apps for hookups. But then again, there were people who were completely the other way. 

Like Link. 

Link - Rhett’s best friend since first grade and current roommate - had never had a girlfriend. As far as Rhett knows he’s only had one kiss, his first, and he’s pretty sure he’s lying about that. But it doesn’t seem to bother him at all, which Rhett really can’t understand. Link never talks to him about liking a girl, and whenever Rhett brings it up Link gets even more awkward and fidgety than usual. He must still be shy. 

But the thing Rhett really doesn’t understand is that he’s around Link almost constantly and he’s never once caught him… doing some self exploration. When they first moved in together, their first year of college, Rhett came up with some rules for their tiny dorm room. If they ever wanted some _alone time_ all they would do is send the other a lock emoji, and when they were ‘finished’ they’d send the key emoji. It worked perfectly. 

At least for Rhett. In the two years they’d been roommates, Link had never once used it. Not once. In _two years_. Not only that, but he’d never even walked in on him, was never woken up in the middle of the night by noises coming from Link’s bed. At one point Rhett even started to get a little bit concerned and brought it up. 

Link had gone red, and wouldn’t meet his eyes. And then he got upset because how dare Rhett insinuate there was something wrong with him. Which, fair. But that honestly wasn’t what Rhett was trying to do, but Link wouldn’t listen. He barely spoke to him for days, only cracked when Rhett took him to the zoo and promised never to bring it up again. And he didn’t.

But Rhett still thought about it. Not in a weird way, or anything. He just thought it was strange. Then again, there were a lot of things about Link that were strange. His apparent lack of sex drive was pretty low on the list, all things considered. 

So while Link may have been lacking, Rhett certainly wasn’t. _Especially_ this past week, since the break up. He was a red blooded male, and he hadn’t got off in a week. And as a 20 year old, that was a feat in itself. 

It was 3pm on a Thursday, and he was in their room. He found himself a free half hour when Link said he was going to study at the library, texted him the usual ‘lock’ and eagerly got down to it. He fished his laptop out from under his bed and opened up a private browser - he might be horny but he still had shame - and loaded up his recent favorite video. 

Simple, not amateur but no harsh studio lights and cheesy script. The girl was beautiful, dark blonde hair and tan skin, no obnoxiously big breasts or exaggerated faces. And the guy, not that he paid him that much attention, was just a nice looking, regular guy. Dark hair and a lithe body that Rhett had to admire. Objectively.

It was believable, that must be why he kept going back to it since the first time he found it. 

He shoved his jeans down and kicked them off as best he could, not caring as they got caught around one of his ankles. He pushed one hand into his boxers as he stared at his laptop screen, palming himself slowly as the foreplay began. As pent up as his frustration was, he still wanted to make it worth his while. He had time, and thought he might as well draw his pleasure out as long as he could. He was fully hard by the time the guy on the screen was sinking his dick into her, and he pulled his own out of his boxers and reached into his bedside cabinet to get his lotion, pouring it into his hand and warming it up before he slicked up his cock. 

Rhett groaned and fucked up into his hand, his eyes glued on the dark haired man’s hips as he rolled them _perfectly_ into her, trying to copy his movements. God he wished he could swap places with him. 

Although as he watched, he found his eyes trained on the guy more and more. That was normal, though. He’d watched this video enough times staring at the girl, it was just because he was bored. He’d be sick of it entirely soon, and find himself a new favorite. 

This guy was something else. He knew what he was doing. It was his job, after all. Maybe. Rhett hadn’t looked him up - he almost did, but it seemed like crossing a line. Narrow frame and a small waist but strong shoulders, and a little patch of hair on his chest that Rhett couldn’t decide if he liked. Even so, as his thrusts and his hand sped up to mirror the pornstar’s as he got close, even Rhett had to admit the man was attractive. In fact, as his eyes lost focus and that magical warmth crept down his spine, he noticed that the guy actually looked kind of like -

Link was standing in the doorway. The door was open, and Link was standing there. Like a deer in headlights. “Oh.” He said simply, his mouth stuck open in that perfect shape. It took Rhett a minute for his brain to catch up with what was happening, numb from his almost-orgasm. He froze as he and Link stared at one another, the video still playing all too loudly in the silent room. It was only when he followed Link’s eyes down to his crotch that he snapped back into reality.

“What the fuck, Link!” He yelped, grabbing a pillow and holding it over his lap. “Shut the door!”

“Oh my god, sorry.” Link started immediately, no longer frozen in place. He turned his head down and fumbled with the door behind him, managing to shut it within a few seconds. He stood awkwardly, refusing to raise his head. 

Rhett looked at him, dumbfounded. 

“I meant with you on the other side!” He spat, voice higher than it would normally be. 

“Shit. Right. Um.” Link stammered, eyes darting up to meet Rhett’s for a split second, before he reached for the door handle again. “Lemme know when you’re… um. Y’know.” He said, opening the door just enough for him to slink through before it shut again. 

Rhett sighed and dropped his head back onto the pillow. His heart was racing, but to his credit, his cock was still hard. 

He looked down at himself, and groaned when it occurred to him how Link must have seen him.

Jeans around his ankles and boxers shoved down, jerking himself off in their shared room. Watching porn without headphones. Christ, what a mess. It was embarrassing. But…

It made his heart race. And the adrenaline was definitely doing something for him. After all, he was still hard. 

Did he really like getting walked in on? Being caught? Or being watched? 

It was too much to think about right now. And he didn’t want to. All he wanted was to get off and clean up, and try to figure out how to act like this never happened when Link got back.

Rhett pushed his thoughts away and got some more lotion, stroking his dick in a steady rhythm. It was easier to get back into it than he expected. He had to rewind the video a little, just before the _finale_ , but as he watched it he found it didn’t do it for him. 

“Great”, Rhett thought to himself, “What a great time to get bored of it.”

He sighed and turned his head away, closing his eyes and letting the sounds of the video drift into his head. It still sounded good. The guy was groaning, low and soft. All he could hear was that and the wet sound of his hand moving on his cock, faster and faster. 

He moaned as he felt his orgasm build again, mind drifting and landing on Link in the doorway, blue eyes bright and wide as he looked at Rhett. His mouth caught open, lips in a perfect circle. He stared. _He looked at Rhett’s cock._

Rhett’s hips stuttered suddenly as he came so hard he arched his back up higher than he knew he could. So hard he saw stars - he didn’t know that could actually happen. He basked in the afterglow for a few long moments, breathing deeply. 

That certainly satisfied his pent up urges. And then some. 

He huffed out a laugh to himself and reached for the box of tissues beside him to clean himself up, stopping short as he looked down at his body. He’d almost shot up to his _neck._ He was impressed with himself - for a second. 

Then he thought about it. He just had the most intense orgasm of his life thinking about his best friend walking in on him masturbating. 

_Thinking about Link’s face as he stared at him._

No. He pushed that thought out of his brain right away. This wasn’t about Link. It wasn’t specific to Link. 

Maybe Rhett just had an exhibitionist streak and this happened to be the way he found out. Simple. 

Having talked himself out of a crisis, he cleaned himself up quickly and got redressed, shutting his laptop off. He fished his phone from his bed and texted Link the key emoji, looking forward to not talking about _any_ of this when he got back. It’s not like Link would bring it up, unspoiled and pure as he was. It was all going to be fine. Rhett just needed to find a new video to watch, probably with ‘gets caught’ in the title. That was all it was. 

It wasn’t about Link. 

It wasn’t. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett tries his best not to think about Link. Then thinks about Link.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more link - focused stuff in the next chapter! and some happier stuff too. probably
> 
> maybe, idk. i dont plan anything. :)

Maybe it was about Link. 

Not like _that_. Not Link specifically. It wasn’t. 

It was the real life experience of being walked in on, of being _caught_ like that. It was the rush of adrenaline at the surprise, the shiver that went down his spine as he was interrupted, the tinge of shame that really shouldn’t turn him on as much as it did. 

And it just so happened that Link was the one who walked in on him.

It had been just over a week since ‘the incident’ and Link had been kind of… off with him. He wasn’t quiet, Link was never quiet. They still hung out and laughed together, but Link didn’t look at him so much. He wouldn’t hold his gaze for more than a second or two. And every time Rhett looked at Link and Link was already looking back at him, he darted his head away like he just got caught doing something he shouldn’t be. Which was ironic. 

Rhett had managed to avoid texting Link their lock code. He ignored every unconscious sexy thought he had and didn’t do anything for seven whole days. That was the longest he’d gone without an orgasm for years. He had no idea how Link could handle it. 

Rhett lasted a week. This morning, he woke up from an incredibly pleasant dream that was already slipping from his memory. All it left behind was an uncomfortable hardness that made him groan in frustration. He couldn’t deal with it anymore. He stretched, then turned on his side and slipped his hand down the front of his boxers, intent on _handling_ his situation.

Then reality came crashing down on him, taking the form of Link, as it so often did.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!” Link’s singsong voice cut through the silence sharply. Rhett jolted and looked at him from over his shoulder. Fortunately, Link was looking down at his phone and sipping a cup of coffee, not paying attention to Rhett at all, so he couldn’t tell where his hands were. Not that he could anyway, since Rhett was under the covers. He was getting paranoid. 

Rhett groaned again and put his head back on the pillow. “How are you so awake?” He glared at him, but Link just grinned back. “I slept well. Unlike you, with your tossing and turning.” He replied, looking up from his phone looking entirely too smug. 

“How’d you know I was tossing and turning if you slept well?” Rhett challenged, earning a shrug in response. “Dunno. I can just tell.” Link said, and Rhett didn’t know why it made his stomach twist. “That’s such bullshit, man.” He grumbled, ignoring the strange feeling and sitting up then swinging his legs over the side of the bed, covering his lap with one of the pillows. 

“Am I wrong?” Link asked, and when Rhett looked at him again he had this _look_ like he was pleased with himself for knowing Rhett so well. Rhett knew he was right, but still.

“Shut up.” He said, even though it gave Link the answer he wanted. And he looked happy about it, until Rhett reached over and plucked Link’s coffee cup from his hand. He drank it all in one loud gulp before it had even registered with Link, and by the time he was protesting Rhett had already handed the cup back to him with a smile. 

“Jerk.” Link muttered, although Rhett could tell he wasn’t really annoyed. “You got class in twenty minutes, don’t go back to sleep.”

“Yes mom.” He replied and fell back onto his bed, closing his eyes. He could feel Link’s eye roll from across the room and he smiled to himself.   
  


“I ain’t your mama.” Link replied with an unsettlingly good impression of Rhett’s mother. 

Rhett laughed loudly. “Never do that again.” 

He watched Link smile and set the coffee mug on Rhett’s bedside table. “I’m serious. It’s gonna be a real pain in the ass for me if you fail all your classes and I have to find a new roommate.” He said, opening his blue eyes wide. So Rhett threw a pillow at his face. 

“I’m the smartest man on earth.” He said, the last half of his sentence muffled as Link threw the pillow back on him. “Just get up, genius.” Link told him simply, and he nodded, knowing his friend needed to know Rhett heard him so Link could say ‘I told you so’ later if he fell back asleep.

With that, Link stood up and left the room, and Rhett settled back in his bed. Things finally felt like they were back to normal. You’d think Link had never accidentally walked in on Rhett jerking off. And seen his dick. 

Speaking of - he was still hard. 

He sighed and checked the time on his phone. Link was right, he needed to get up now to be on time for his class. Reluctantly, he got up and got dressed, wincing slightly as he zipped up his fly. This was going to be an uncomfortable morning. 

  
  


\------------

  
  
  


Rhett had made it until about 12:30 in the afternoon. He didn’t have another class for a few hours, and he knew Link would be away from their room getting lunch or going to the library or something. So he could have the room to himself… problem solved. 

Just to be sure Rhett sent him a text.

**you home?**

A few minutes go by, no reply. Then:

**_no. why?_ **

Rhett bit his lip in hesitation, then sent him the lock emoji, watching it pop up on his own screen. He felt his blood run hot, then cold, and he doesn’t know why it turned him on a little to think that Link knew what Rhett was going to do. That Rhett was _telling him._ He wasn’t ready to unpack that yet. It had been over a week since he’d last jerked off, that was excuse enough. 

Then three little dots popped up, and Rhett’s blood ran cold again in a much worse way. Link never replied. Not to that. He saw it and didn’t respond until Rhett sent him the key. He felt his blood pump in his ears as he waited. And waited. And then, just as suddenly as they appeared, they vanished. He waited just to see if they’d pop up again, but they didn’t. He wasn’t getting a reply - which was fine. Normal. He didn’t care. Whatever. 

He looked at the small text under his last message that read ‘Seen’ and sighed. He didn’t care.

... but what was Link going to say?

  
  
  
  


By the time Rhett got back to their room, he was still wondering. He was only so curious because he knew he couldn’t find out. It’s not like he could just ask. 

“Hey man! What were you going to say after I told you I wanted some time alone to masturbate?”

No. That would be weird.

And now he was distracted, and he really didn’t want to be, because he was so horny he was finding it difficult to concentrate. He didn’t even think that was a real thing. He had never felt like this, not even when he was a teenager. It crossed his mind that he might be missing his ex, but he dismissed that quickly. He might be missing the sexual side of their relationship, but he definitely didn’t want her back, and he definitely didn’t want a new girlfriend yet. 

So that left him with the ever faithful option of porn. Again. He got his laptop from under his bed and pulled up the same video from… last time, but found that the only thrill from it he got was the spark of memory it brought back of Link opening the door and seeing him like that. He needed a new video. 

He scrolled down through the recommendations under the video and saw a thumbnail that had the same guy in it, and opened it in a new tab while refusing to give it a second thought. He hesitates, then types ‘walks in on’ in the search bar but before he’s finished typing he’s hit with hundreds of videos with that in the title. 

He scrolls, and nothing catches his eye. Deciding to push his luck, he adds ‘roommate’ to his search and while it narrows down his options, he still has plenty to choose from. 

Selecting the first title that piques his interest enough, he plays the video and unzips his fly, reaching into his drawer for the lotion he keeps there. He’s impatient, and already half hard, and he really just wants to come so he can function like a normal person again. 

Only it isn’t working. The video is boring, the sounds are annoying, and the girl isn’t as much of his type as he thought. Plus the guy looks like a douchebag. 

Rhett groans and shoves his jeans down, pulling his dick out of his boxers and squeezing some lotion onto his hand. He tries to recall that adrenaline rush he got from last week, the way his heart raced when Link walked in on him. He imagines the same scenario, but puts a girl in Link’s place instead. Not one that he knew, that felt creepy. His ex was considered for a split second, but he said no to that pretty quickly. He just constructed a girl from thin air.

He couldn’t picture her face properly, couldn’t make out her features, all he could see was a short girl with long brown hair standing by the door, gasping in surprise. 

It was… better than the video. But still not the same. He groaned and wrapped his hand around his cock, spreading the lotion up and down as he closed his eyes and tried to summon the sensations from last week. He thinks about the sudden click of the door, and then how Link was standing there. Just standing there. Not moving away, not even _looking_ away. Just standing in the door, which was still open a little. 

‘God, anyone could have seen’ Rhett thinks and it makes his breath catch. _Anyone could have seen him._

But of course it was Link. Rhett can see him clear as day on the other side of the room. Wide blue eyes and a shocked expression. He can hear him gasp, and it sends a shiver down his spine.

Did Link actually gasp? Rhett can’t remember. But he can hear how it would sound.

_“Oh my god, Rhett!” Link says, oddly breathless and high. “What are you doing?!”_

As if he doesn’t know. 

_He knows Link can see him. He’s watching his friends eyes look him over, and he lets him. He likes it._

Rhett groans impatiently, trying to kick his jeans off but they just end up caught around his ankles. He’s too engrossed in his fantasy to stop moving his hand long enough to care. 

_He watches as Link’s eyes move down, bright blue and full of curiosity. They stop on Rhett’s moving hand and he licks his lips._

Link does have nice lips, Rhett considers absently as he quickened his pace. This scenario is working, he can feel a spark of that feeling he got from being caught, the adrenaline mixing with the curls of arousal spreading down his spine. 

He drops his head back against his pillow, but in his mind he’s looking Link in the eye.

_Link stares back at him for a moment, before his eyes drop down again. Rhett gives himself one long, slow, torturous stroke and it makes Link gasp again. He hears the click of the door shut as Link rests back against it, and his hand stills. It’s tense for a moment, and they just look at each other. “Don’t stop.” Link says, so quietly Rhett can barely hear it._

Of course, he can’t actually hear it. But he knows what it would sound like.

_He keeps his hand still and watches Link bite his lip. “Don’t stop.” He says again, but his voice is soft and breathy, like he’s desperate. Rhett can practically hear the ‘please’ dropped from the end. He groans and starts to touch himself again, moving his hand quickly, and watches Link’s gaze drop again. Link likes to watch him._

Too far.

But Rhett moans loudly before he can stop himself. He screws his eyes shut tightly as he tries to push his story from his mind, but all he can see is Link, watching him. His neck and cheeks pink, lips bitten red and dropped open, eyes shiny and focused. On Rhett. On his hand moving. On his cock. 

His breath catches as he feels his climax edging closer and he runs towards it, thrusting his hips up into his hand and trying to keep the image of Link watching him from his mind, but it’s all he can think about. He comes hard, gasping through the aftershocks as he strokes himself through until it starts to feel oversensitive. 

Rhett lays back against his bed, catching his breath. He enjoys the glow for as long as he can, but then the shame creeps in and he can’t ignore it. Shame or guilt, he can’t distinguish it. 

For the second time this month, he came while he was thinking about Link. His roommate. His best friend. His _childhood_ best friend. He cursed under his breath and cleaned himself up with tissues, rubbing unnecessarily hard at his skin. The sight of the red scratches on his stomach make him feel a little bit better. It’s a pretty light punishment for his crime, but all he wants to do is stop thinking about it. 

He tries to rationalise it. Maybe it isn’t that getting caught turns him on. Maybe it’s just being watched. Not any less weird, but that doesn’t mean it’s about Link. Rhett feels relief rush through him. He just saw Link because that was how it happened the first time. It was the only example he had to remember. It wasn’t about Link, specifically. 

It wasn’t. Rhett repeats it over and over as he gets redressed and shuts his laptop, video long forgotten. 

He repeats it to himself when he’s holding his phone in his hand, his conversation with Link on the screen. The idea of sending him the key to let him know that he’s ‘done’ doesn’t give him that same tingling excitement that he got before. Instead it makes the shame crawl up and wrap itself around Rhett’s neck. Like Link’s going to know what he just did.

Link did know what Rhett just did. That was the point of their system. Who was he kidding, it was his system. God, it felt creepy now that he thought about it. Was he really a creep? He didn’t want to be. Link would tell him if he was. Right? 

Rhett runs a hand over his face and hits send before he can doubt his choice, picking up his backpack and heading out the door to his next class. He wants to be gone before Link gets back. He doesn’t know how he’s going to look him in the eye when he sees him. 

What he does know, is that he can’t let it happen again. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett thinks he can solve his problems by ignoring them. Link doesn't like being ignored.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not really an explicit chapter - a lil angst and some fluff <3 
> 
> but stick around for the next one ;)

Rhett really tries not to think about it. And fails.

In his defence, it’d be easier if he didn’t share a room with Link. There’s not a lot of time in the day he doesn’t share with him. Basically the only time they’re apart is classes, or when they shower or go to the bathroom. 

When Rhett wakes up, or rather when Link wakes him up, he’s there. His hair is messy in the morning, sometimes it sticks up at funny angles depending on what position he slept in. Usually on his side, sometimes he rolls onto his front. Rhett likes it best when Link wakes him up, and recently he’d gotten into the habit of letting himself sleep through his alarm just so he gets to wake up to Link’s voice. 

He’s with Link when he eats breakfast, then they walk to campus. They’ll usually meet up for lunch. More often than not, actually. They do everything together. Link’s face is the first thing he sees when he wakes up and the last thing he sees before he goes to sleep. The only time it changes is when Rhett has a girlfriend, and even then he sees Link a lot. Some of his girlfriends have even described it as ‘too much’, which Rhett doesn’t really think is fair. They don’t know what they’re talking about. 

It’s always been him and Link, together. Which is what makes it so difficult. 

Every time he looks at Link, he thinks about it. And Link since is around him constantly, Rhett is basically never not thinking about it. It being him fantasising about Link watching him jerk off, and him  _ really  _ getting off on it. 

Luckily for Rhett, the solution seems simple to him. He just needs to be around Link less. 

Rhett’s plan was to avoid the guy he was attached at the hip to. For a smart guy, he was a real idiot. 

So Rhett slept even later, brushing off Link’s attempts to get him out of bed, and by the time his second alarm sounded Link was usually gone and he was up and rushing around trying not to be late for class. The last couple of days, Link only tried to wake him once and then gave up and left for class. It wasn’t like Rhett enjoyed it. He hated it. But when Link wasn’t there in the morning, Rhett didn’t have to worry about hiding his morning wood while also secretly hoping Link would see. 

He ignored Link’s texts asking him where he wanted to go for lunch, and would reply about thirty minutes later with ‘Didn’t get this - already ate’. Once, they were together when Link asked him, and he responded with “I’m not hungry.” which was probably the stupidest thing he could have said. He was always hungry, and Link knew it. He needed to take an improv class or something, because he wasn’t a good liar. Not when it came to Link. Rhett starts eating alone anyway, even though he hates that too. But at least he doesn’t have to watch Link eat, watch his throat while he swallows or his mouth when he licks his lips. Or when he sucks his fingertips when he’s finished, which just the  _ thought  _ of gets his pants tight for some reason. There’s no way he could handle it in person.

When Link asks him if he wants to hang out Rhett tells him he’s going to study. And then when Link asks to study together Rhett tells him he’s going to go study with people in a class Link didn’t take. So maybe Link just thought he was studying a lot. Probably trying to make up for the classes he was late for every morning all of a sudden. At least that lined up. 

But it really did help. At least a little. When Rhett wasn’t around Link, he didn’t fantasise about him walking in on him half as much. Cold showers and the least sexy documentaries on Netflix he could find became regular occurrences this week for the times where he couldn’t avoid thinking about it. 

It wasn’t fun. That was an understatement, Rhett was miserable. But feeling miserable was better than feeling like a sex pest whenever he was around his best friend. 

Rhett would almost say it was worth it, if Link wasn’t miserable as well. 

Because the guy isn’t an idiot, no matter how much he acts like one. Rhett knew he noticed how weird he was being. Worse than that, he saw his face fall - just for a second - whenever Rhett turned him down. He was in a bad mood in the morning after Rhett refused to get up and walk to campus with him like they normally did. When Rhett said they couldn’t get lunch together, he got a crying emoji in response, and he knew Link was using it ironically, but he still felt bad. And whenever he looked at it, it was like it was mocking him with it’s cold, dead eyes.

It’s been a little over a week of Rhett trying his best to avoid Link, and almost two since the last time Rhett came thinking about his best friend. For the second time, but he ignores that fact. Since then he hasn’t touched himself out of fear that he won’t be able to think of anything but Link. His theory was that if he waits long enough, by the time he next jerks off he’ll have forgotten about the whole Link seeing his dick thing. So far he doesn’t think it’s working.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, for him, he couldn’t evade Link’s company all the time. They did live together. Rhett can’t find enough excuses to be away from him all the time. And if he’s honest with himself he doesn’t really want to. He likes being around Link, and he wants to stop avoiding him. But to do that, he’s going to have to get over this weird… he doesn’t want to call it attraction. A fixation, maybe. Whatever it is, he needs to get over it as soon as possible. So maybe he’ll just need to be a shitty friend for a couple of weeks. A small sacrifice for a lifetime of friendship, he thinks. 

Link doesn’t agree. 

They’re in their room, because it was too late for Rhett to use his ‘going to the library’ excuse. So he’s sitting on his bed staring blankly at his laptop with his headphones in. He’s hoping it’ll dissuade Link from trying to talk to him. God, he’s a bad friend. 

The last time he glanced over at Link, he was laying on his side on his own bed, looking at his phone. He looked bored, which didn’t bode well for Rhett. When Link was bored, he usually sought out Rhett for entertainment. 

And that’s exactly what he did. 

Rhett’s headphones are suddenly pulled from his ears and he flinches at the surprise, turning his head to see Link standing next to him, a mischievous smile on his face. “What’cha doin’?” He asks in his stupid sing song voice and Rhett rolls his eyes, repressing his urge to smile. 

“Assignment.” He lies gruffly, reaching to take his headphones back. 

Link holds them out of his reach and frowns. “For what?” He asks, clearly not believing Rhett. 

“For a class, idiot.” Rhett replies, leaning up to snatch his headphones back before Link can react. Slow reflexes. 

“Seems like you’ve been doin’ an awful lot of studying and stuff lately. You should take a break!” Link tells him, and flops down onto Rhett’s bed like he’s been invited. “I’m bored. Can we watch a movie or something? Or play a game? Oh, we could-”

“Link.” Rhett cuts him off sharply. “I gotta study so much because I wanna pass my classes. Just ‘cos it comes easy to you doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone else.” To be fair, that’s true. Link gets good grades without even trying. But Rhett doesn’t need to study as much as he’s been pretending to, and they both know it. 

“Well, I could help,” Link offers, reaching for Rhett’s laptop and Rhett doesn’t know  _ why  _ but suddenly he’s thinking about Link walking in on him and seeing him- doing what he was doing. Rhett snatches his laptop away defensively as Link frowns up at him, his glasses framing the hurt and confusion in his eyes in a particularly heart-breaking way. 

“Just.” Rhett starts, then sighs. “I don’t need your help, man.” He says quietly, looking down at his hands.

Link doesn’t move from his bed, instead he curls his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around them. Rhett can feel him looking at him and refuses to meet his eyes. Neither of them talk for a few moments, the air filled with awkward silence. That’s a new thing for them. 

When Link finally talks, his voice is small, the mischief from just a few minutes ago gone completely. “Did I do somethin’?” He asks, and Rhett can’t help but look up at him. 

“What? No. Don’t be stupid.” He says, although he knows that’s not fair. It’s not stupid for Link to assume there was something up considering the way Rhett’s been acting. 

“Well then what?” Link asks, his voice a lot less small. He looks angry now, and Rhett avoids his stare. “It’s something! You’ve been acting weird all week! I hardly see you, and when I do you don’t even say two words to me… what, have you got a new girlfriend, or something? If you have, why wouldn’t you just tell me? I mean come on, man, we’re supposed to be best friends. Brothers! That’s what you always said.” He sounds more upset than angry now, which makes Rhett feel a whole lot worse. 

“I’m- I’m embarrassed!” Rhett interrupts, before Link can keep talking and work himself up into hysterics. 

It does shut him up. For a second.

“What?” Link asks, but at least he sounds more confused than upset. 

“I’m embarrassed, man…” Rhett replies, finally looking back at Link. “Since… the other week. You know.” It’s not a lie, exactly. It’s just not all of the truth. 

Link looks at him blankly, and Rhett can see the second he realises what he’s talking about, because his whole face flushes pink. “Oh.” He says, looking down at his hands and playing with his fingers. Great, now he’s the one refusing to look at Rhett. He should have just lied, thought of something else to say. Now he’s just made it awkward, Rhett curses himself. 

“You don’t need to be embarrassed.” Link interrupts his train of thought, and when Rhett looks at him Link’s looking back. 

“Kinda easier said than done, man.” Rhett tells him, then laughs. Link laughs too, and he realises it’s the first time in a week they’ve laughed together. He’s starting to think he handled this wrong. 

“Look, just forget about it, yeah? I mean, I’m not gonna bring it up.” Link says, and he’s smiling, and sounds noticeably less upset. “Besides… it was kinda my fault, anyway. I didn’t check my phone when I got your text, I kinda just assumed… well, I dunno. I didn’t read it.” 

He sounds guilty, and Rhett feels shame curl in his belly.  _ You can’t let him feel bad for you ignoring him, you asshole,  _ he tells himself. “It ain’t your fault, man.” He says quietly, and Link smiles at him which makes him feel minutely better. 

“Yeah, well… I didn’t see anything, anyway. So.” Link says, a little bit awkwardly. 

Rhett frowns to himself, knowing that isn’t true. He saw Link looking at him. He followed his eyes  _ down.  _ He’s replayed it in his head at least a couple of dozen times. They both know Link’s lying. But Rhett can hardly act holier than thou now. 

“Hey, man. Let's just forget about it, yeah?” Rhett asks, sighing in relief when Link nods in agreement. “I’m sorry I was a dick, this past week.”

“Just this past week?” Link asks immediately with a grin, and Rhett punches him playfully. Then Link hams it up and pretends it actually hurt, while Rhett laughs at him and calls him a baby, and eventually Link’s laughing with him. It feels normal, like nothing ever happened to make it weird. And for a moment, Rhett feels hopeful that he can forget it and move on. 

“Come on. I’ll let you pick the movie.” Rhett offers, after a minute, and Link grins and grabs his laptop - not going to pass up this rare opportunity. “Shift up, man.” Link tells him, quickly making himself comfortable beside Rhett on his bed. 

Rhett rolls his eyes but complies, moving along so Link can sit next to him. He watches him settle Rhett’s laptop on his lap as he searches his Netflix for a movie. His hands pause on the keyboard, and Rhett realises he’s looking at him. He turns his head, finding Link’s face just a few inches away from his own. It makes his breath catch, even though this isn’t nearly the closest he’s been to Link, not by a long shot. 

But it makes his heart race, because Link’s looking at him seriously, intently. And he can’t look away. 

“Are you sure that’s all it was?” Link asks quietly, as if they weren’t the only two people in the room. 

“Yeah, brother. I’m sure.” Rhett lies, disturbed at himself with how easy it’s becoming to lie to Link. It’s to protect him, and our friendship, Rhett reasons with himself, but it doesn’t make him feel much better. 

The look on Link’s face says maybe he’s not as good of a liar as he thinks, but he doesn’t push it. Instead he nudges Rhett’s side and Rhett smiles, raising his arm up and resting it along his headboard. Link settles against him, brushing against his side as he shifts the laptop over to Rhett’s lap, his head tilting back to rest against Rhett’s arm.

It’s not cuddling. There’s a distinction that Rhett can’t quite articulate, but it’s not cuddling. They just sit like that sometimes. And it’s still not cuddling when Rhett drops his arm down to rest against Link’s side, or when Link’s head makes its way to Rhett’s shoulder. 

It just makes it easier for them both to watch the movie comfortably. 

What Rhett doesn’t have an excuse for is why he likes that he’s so close he can smell Link’s hair. Or why it makes his heart beat so quickly. 


End file.
